


Shattered

by LostSoulWolf



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Experimentation, F/M, Mystery, Slow Burn, Soul Bond, Temporary Amnesia, contains violence, not sure, potential smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-20 02:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11911149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostSoulWolf/pseuds/LostSoulWolf
Summary: Afraid, alone.... Keep running.These are the only thoughts of a young woman thrust into a world she barely understands but she pushes onward, desperate to find answers and salvation from the one thing she fears most:the unknown and the forgotten.Can the friends she makes along the way help her uncover her shrouded past?





	1. Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Ohhhhhhh boy~ 
> 
> This is a long one~ Shattered has been simmering on my proverbial stove for a while now, working on it and fine-tuning with a couple friends of mine for advise and grammar checking. So, finally, here it is!
> 
> ((Any changes in POV will be separated with "---" in between. I will be switching mostly to our three/four main character's POV but it will always be prefaced by that beforehand!))

Stumbling through the snow, a young woman tried with all of her might to not land face-first into the tundra. But it was getting harder to fight against her exhaustion. Running the whole way through Hotland and Waterfall was taking its toll.

Her feet were scorched, blistered and painful even through the frozen snow in Snowdin. She just wanted to know she was safe to take a breather, but until she was well-enough away from _that_ place, she would keep going.

Full on sprinting through the lit town, she hurried into the forest for sanctuary. She would have asked for help, but that man… Who else did he know that could easily drag her back there? She wasn’t about to chance it, and so made her way deeper into the trees.

At first, the foliage was a strange welcome to her mind, seeing the large pines tower well into the darkness just before the ceiling of the Underground—though as she delved further, a strange and almost uncomfortable silence enveloped her. While the loud machinery of Hotland was distracting and terrifying, the pure silence was unsettling.

Being so far into her own mind and worry, the woman didn’t see a lone thick branch in the middle of the path, catching on it with her bare foot to land into the unforgiving slush. Trying not to shiver as the frigid water slid along her skin, she sat up to hunch her shoulders and rub her arms in a desperate attempt to dry off and get warm.

Maybe she should have stolen a coat or a jacket before running like that. But, if she had, she may have been caught... so she wouldn’t take her luck for granted. So, slowly getting back on aching feet, she trudged as far as she could before coming upon a large dark violet door with some sort of white crest above.

While it wasn’t recognizable to her, the female felt a sort of relief to see that symbol and flopped down just before the threshold. Curling her legs up to her chest, she huddled into herself for warmth and defense.

She was so spent, wanting to just fall asleep even in this bitter cold. But she couldn’t let her guard down. No, _he_ could still be out there and she wasn’t about to go back to that place… Whatever it was, anyway.

Her memory was a little fuzzy, to be honest. She just remembered bits and pieces, kind of like if someone were to put on and take off the lens cap of a camera: vivid images when visible but unyielding darkness when shrouded.

It was worrisome… but not _nearly_ as much as the crunching of snow echoing around her. 

Flinching at the sound’s growing volume, she grasped at her stained gown. With a swallow, she hunkered down a bit more against the door in hopes that this person wasn’t him or someone he knew.

_Please, please, please just be a wild animal or something!_ She prayed, clamping her eyes shut in desperation.

When the figure stopped approaching, she chanced a look to see if her short moment of freedom was over.

Standing there, with hands shoved into a blue hoodie, was a skeleton. Adorned with black and white striped gym shorts and pink fluffy slippers, he simply stared at her in what she assumed was disbelief.

\---

_wha--?_

The dark sockets gazed upon the woman’s hunkered form in shock—wide as dinner plates as his brother would say. The pinpricks of light within them were there, rather round, much like an interested cat. They fluctuated intermittently as he decided whether to approach or stay back.

She didn’t look armed, and actually seemed to be ready to keel over, making him worried for her health... but also hesitant. What if it was a ploy? If something happened to him, who would take care of Pap?

The strange mark on her right forearm was disconcerting, but seeing her duck her head in fear finally cleared his decision.

“heya... you ok?”

Her silence was not exactly reassuring, so he only took one step forward to kneel.

“it’s alright, bud. i ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

“H-how do _I_ know that?”

Blinking, Sans snorted faintly as he gently patted her head. “because if i was, i woulda done it by now. right?” 

When she didn’t seem to accept or argue his words, he nudged her shoulder to get her to stand up.

“come on. it’s freezin’ out here without a jacket and you ain’t exactly dressed right.” he pointed out, trying to cheer her up since she looked so rattled. Downright _terrified_ even. “don’t be a numbskull.”

A browbone lifted at a faint sound from her, what he assumed to be a breath of amusement, as she stood up with her arms wrapped around her shoulders. It wasn’t long before the skeleton shrugged out of his coat and put it on her, perma-grin widening faintly at seeing her grasp it desperately. It would, of course, still have his own special brand of warmth due to his magic. Though it might have smelled of ketchup. _whoops…_

With an arm around her shoulder and the other holding the coat closed, he watched her. “i’m Sans, by the way. sorry for the, uh, lackluster intro. can be a bit of a bonehead at times, ya know.”

The stranger slowly nodded, but seemed to be loosening up at his puns as they walked, reassuring him that she had some semblance of self. Most monsters found his jokes at least tolerable or funny (aside from his brother) so at least she had a sense of humor. Whatever she had been through must’ve been horrible just based on what he could see: scratches, bruises, scars, and the limp she had while walking.

Sans worried that she might just pass out if he didn’t say anything, so he continued. “so, what’s your name? i, uh, don’t think it’d be exactly right to just give ya nicknames repeatedly.” he joked, chuckling. When she stopped in her tracks, he looked back slightly with a crease of his brow. “sorry, didn’t mean to offend ya…”

“I-I… don’t know my name…” she spoke softly, voice nearly gone he barely caught it.

Working his jaw, the comedian hummed in thought before shrugging with a wink. “well, until we find out, how’s about Arial?” It was a shot in the dark, but the marginal ease in her shoulders was a good sign. His smile broadened at her nod. “alrighty then, Arial it is. i think it suits you.”

“Y-you thought of it…”

“heh, yep and proud of it..”

Her soft smile and chuckle was soothing to his SOUL. He let his gaze soften before they picked right back up in their walk to head somewhere warm.


	2. Hope and Hilarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans... the skeleton? An interesting savior, to be sure, but how about this apparent brother of his?

The girl looked around curiously. As they passed vaguely familiar buildings—it had all been a blur in her rush to find somewhere safe—she would keep her gaze downward when a monster would look her way, subconsciously stepping a little closer to her guardian and his leading arm.

Arial hadn’t thought that this casual skeleton would decide to live in a house that was adorned with bright strings of lights. With his stained, loose t-shirt and house slippers, he seemed like the kind of guy who couldn’t be bothered to decorate his home.

Yet, sure enough, her companion pulled a set of keys from his pocket and inserted a golden one into the lock to flick it open.

The warmth emanating from the threshold was welcoming. His gentle hand went to the small of her back, guiding her inside while a lazy kick of the door closed it after them.

“bro, we got a visitor.”

The young woman blinked at the term, looking to Sans. Was that meant to be another joke? Was it because of her gown? But he merely shrugged at her quizzical gaze and took a quick step away from her just as another skeleton came into view from the kitchen.

“What’s that, Sans?” he called, voice high and energetic.

“we got a visitor. this is Arial.”

His brother just about inhaled every ounce of oxygen with an audible “GASP” before bolting over to see her.

“A pleasure to meet you, Arial! I’m the Great Papyrus!” he greeted, extending a hand. He frowned slightly when she flinched. “That’s alright! I am pretty intimidating for a future royal guardsman!” His boasts were lost on the woman, but she did offer a nervous smile, watching him strike his best pose of pride. “I will defend all of the Underground and protect his majesty, King Asgore!”

Sans snorted with a nod. “you’re so cool, bro.”

“I know I’m great~!” Papyrus agreed. He turned his beaming attention onto their guest. “You must be cold. Come! We’ll get you a blanket! Sans! You couldn’t have washed your jacket?” Even he grimaced at seeing the ketchup stains and scent coming from it.

A shrug from the pun master preceded, “like i knew i was going to be finding someone needing help out there.”

Papyrus’s groan made Arial’s smile grow, feeling safe here with these two skeleton brothers more and more. She could just tell that she had nothing to fear here.

Guided to the couch to sit down while the taller brother fetched a blanket from his room, the lost one huddled in on herself and stared at the mark on her arm. She hadn’t noticed it before but now that it caught her attention, pitch black thick lines on her pale skin, it was hard _not_ to look at. Brushing her thin fingers against the smooth surface of her arm, she tilted her head in confusion. Just where did this come from? Was it before, when she--

“any ideas?”

A yelp of surprise left the woman as she scooted from the voice, eyes darting to Sans. When did he sit down next to her?! Finally, she registered the question.

“I-I don’t know what it is…” she managed.

“looks like an hourglass. you don’t remember getting it?” The short monster hummed in thought at her denial. “do you remember anything? where you came from?”

Both were answered in the negative.

It rubbed him the wrong way that this random girl was out there alone just outside of the ruins, wearing a hospital gown barefoot, and no memory. Something didn’t add up, but based on her demeanor… he wouldn’t press on it. While he was anxious of the circumstance, she seemed harmless enough. If she turned out like that other human, he’d make swift work of her no matter how lost or alone she seemed.

“well, whatever the case is, we’ll help ya find out what to do. you could say time is on our side,” Sans teased, glancing at her arm. He was partly amused by her shocked expression, realizing that his pun had been mostly ignored.

“Y-you’ll help me?”

A chuckle. “that’s what we’re doin’ right now. we aren’t soulless, ya know.”

Hearing that word, _soul_ , made a chill run down Arial’s spine. She hunkered against the back of the couch more as a hand lifted to her pounding head. Wait, when had a headache started? Was she just too distracted by the cold to notice before?

The young woman jolted when thin fingers touched her hand, holding it gently. “hey, you okay?”

She gazed at the skeleton for a moment, not so jumpy as to snatch her hand away but finding an odd sense of reassurance from the contact. “My h-head hurts…” she answered softly, averting her gaze.

Sans nodded then released her, getting up to shuffle back into the kitchen. She could hear cabinets opening and closing in there with the scuff of his slippers against the tile, turning her head from the threshold to close her eyes.

That peace didn’t last long as Papyrus announced his return halfway down the stairs, yanking her drifting consciousness from slumber to bring her the blanket he promised.

“Usually I use this blanket, but you need it far more! I would have grabbed the one from my brother’s room, but it probably has more ketchup stains than his jacket.” the future guardsman sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. “I tell him not to drink in his room, but he’s too lazy to stand in the kitchen.

“Would you like a spare pillow, or are the couch ones enough?”

“I-I’m okay.” she answered, though she did offer a small smile. “Thank you, Papyrus.”

The tall skeleton beamed once more. “It is not a problem at all, Arial! I’m happy to help those who need it! It’s what a royal guardsman would do! And feel free to stay here as long as you need. We’ll help all we can.”

It was reassuring that at least here, she was wanted. This place, these two brothers, offered safety when she had nowhere left to run to. Thank god for Sans finding her.

Speaking of the comedian, he came back with a glass of water and his hand holding two little pills. “sorry, they were in one of the cabinets but i couldn’t remember which one.”

The young woman was hesitant at first. While she felt at ease here, she didn’t know what pain relievers looked like.

“Ah, Sans! Why didn’t you tell me she was in pain? I could have gotten those for you instead of just climbing on the counters!”

His brother’s cheekbones colored at the comment. “bro, i don’t climb on the counters--”

“Yes, you do! I can tell because there’s water on your knee.”

Sans snorted, his mask of casual amusement coming back in full swing. “but, my knee isn’t swollen.”

“Sans!” Papyrus hissed between his clenched teeth, though lowered his voice further as their guest held her head again. “I’m sorry, Arial.”

“I-It’s okay, Papyrus.”

Accepting the pills, now that she was more informed thanks to the honest blurt from his brother, Arial popped them into her mouth and chased it with a few gulps of water. Soon enough, she scooted down to lay on the couch again and was tucked in by the guardsman.

Everything about her was wracked with pain, not just her head, so hopefully the relievers would numb it enough for a little sleep.

“Good night, Arial. Sleep well!” Papyrus wished, patting her head like a child. But she didn’t mind.

“yeah, get some sleep, kiddo.”

Her eyes closed, and quickly did she fall from consciousness on the couch of the skeleton brother’s home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot, second chapter put out there~  
> Let's keep this gravy train a-rollin'~
> 
> As always, appreciate the views and kudos from you guys! Let me know what you think in the comments and as always, thank you for reading!~ <3


	3. Compassion and Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, poor Papy notices something about their guest before "work".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do take certain liberties with my own headcannon of monster abilties here, but I will explain in the notes below just how!

The next day came with a resounding shout from the tallest skeleton in the kitchen, beckoning his “lazybones brother” downstairs for breakfast before work. It wasn’t until he recalled the guest on their couch that he piped down, able to hear the mutter of an answer from Sans and the familiar scuff of slippers on the tile behind him.

He hated it when his brother would pop up out of nowhere like that, knowing it was his shiftless way of getting around.

“There you are, you lazybones! Breakfast is almost ready and you have to hurry to your station as soon as you’re done.” he lectured, smacking a spoonful of morning spaghetti onto a plate and slid it to Sans across the counter.

Stopping it with his forearm as he leaned on the surface, the comedian yawned with a stretch. “come on, bro. no need to get all worried if a human has pastas already.”

Papyrus seethed. “It’s too early for your puns, Sans.”

“at least you know i’m not an impasta.”

“Sans, please stop.” Looking to the woman on the couch, the future royal guardsman gestured. “See? She’s sleep cringing!”

Lazy sockets mulled over the sight of her fussing then turning over. “nah, she’s cold.” he pointed out, seeming to have called it at the right moment to watch as the blanket slipped off her shoulders to bundle on the floor.

The taller brother slouched marginally, giving a word of return before hurrying over to fix the cover for her.

Sans admired his brother for many things and his kind heart was one of them. Papyrus cared for anyone he meets and makes sure everyone knew it. Remembering birthdays and holidays, greeting everyone with a bright smile that just beamed joy… It was more than anyone could have asked for.

It was an honor to say he was related to that ray of sunshine.

Watching Paps tuck the blanket around Arial, he flinched when she turned over to grasp his arm. It wasn’t until his brother ran his hand through her hair that he realized he was comforting her while she slept.

“Sans?”

“yeah, bro?” He shuffled over quietly.

“Do you think… Do you think she’s sick?” Papyrus’s voice was quieter than usual, sending a signal off in the comedian’s head.

The skeleton leaned over to look past his rounded shoulder plate to see their guest asleep, but something was… off. Her face was flushed, short breaths, and it looked like she had been crying. He wasn’t sure if she was sick but he didn’t want to worry his sibling.

So, he put a hand on his back to pat it. “i’ll keep an eye socket on her today.”

There was a long moment of silence as they swapped gazes, looked to the woman, then each other once more. With a labored sigh, Papyrus agreed.

“Don’t think this will be your excuse just to be lazy, okay? Really take care of her. I don’t want her to be sick any longer than she has to be!”

Monsters got sick a few times in their lives, just a part of living in the conditions they had. Some, more often than others. But their preventative measures were improving with the help of the scientists in New Home. About a decade previous, it wasn’t uncommon for monsters to “fall down” if the sickness progressed and went untreated.

They couldn’t get sick by just airborne or water-based illnesses, but it would just seemingly happen at random at least once. In a way, it reminded him of something he read in one of the books he found at the dump. What was it? The chicken pox? That’s right, that weird disease that left him wondering what exactly possessed people to name something so serious so stupidly, and what a chicken was.

He and his brother still weren’t sure if Arial was human or monster so it was worthy of concern if she was ill. Either way, sick was sick and it was never fun.

“i promise, Paps.”

Standing once more, adjusting his scarf cape with a sigh, Papyrus nodded and wished him luck before bolting out of the house to make a stop at his sentry station. After all, it would be the first place the human would see if they left the Ruins.

Watching his brother head out with a quiet close of the door, almost fondly missing the usual slam of excitement, Sans turned his focus back onto the form shivering on the couch.

“just what happened to you?” he muttered to himself, carefully running his fingers through her damp hairline to brush away the strands from her face.

Arial responded relatively well to that attention, her head turning more towards his touch with a slow exhale. Her brow stayed furrowed, though, and it made him curious as to what she was dreaming. Based on the light sheen of sweat on her skin, he figured it was an intense fever dream.

When Papyrus got sick roughly a year ago, he remembered vividly how horrified his brother had been when he suffered such dreams. It had taken every ounce of his magic to calm him down enough to console him and reassure him that he was safe.

But, what terrified _him_ the most…

He had spoken about seeing a human child going through the Underground, murdering their friends.

Sans had come across only one other who had done such a thing, but that was years prior. He had painstakingly ensured that Papyrus wouldn’t know about that. They lost a lot of good people to that kid… 

A few Whimsuns, Moldsmalls, and Froggits… gone. Dusted.

Biting back that sense of mourning, the skeleton tried to think of the now. He may not know who this girl is or _what_ she is, but until she does something worthy of hatred, he’ll try to help as much as he can. 

After all, monsters were kind by nature.

When Arial began to fuss again, he frowned and got up to fetch a cool cloth. Upon his return, carefully placing the rag upon her forehead, he sighed and sat on the floor to watch over her like he promised. He was still being lazy, sure, but he was also thinking of how to better her health. If she was human, then monster remedies like food or magic transfers wouldn’t work very well anyway. But, if she was a monster, then he would be caught not doing anything and risk her getting worse.

The only problem being… he was never very good at healing, or medicinal, magic.

Much to the surprise of his brother, Sans _did_ have a special store of magic due to his universal task as the Judge, but it was more of a circumstantial type. He was able to use his Karmic Retribution as a way to direct what someone has done and unleash it upon them ten-fold. On his own? He was a mere single digit of attack and defense.

Since this wasn’t something that needed to reap the punishment of one who acted unjustly, he had no power here.

“sorry, kiddo. i’ll get ya what I can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes. In my mind, monsters can tell at a glance what someone is, be it human or monster (especially true for boss monsters). There are so many types of monsters in the Underground that have existed that it wouldn't surprise any of them if there was one that had the appearance of a human but had monster genes instead.  
> But, much like in the game, one can argue that Sans knew Frisk was human based on sensory alone and not just because of multiple timelines and experience or that Toriel had asked him to protect any human that came from the door of the Ruins. I took that idea and ran with it, the sensory part.
> 
> \--Sorry for the delay of updates, my dudes! Truth be told, work has picked up and I've often found myself coming home afterwards to just chillax instead of working on my writing. I know, I'm terrible! *flail*
> 
> BUT! That won't the case forever. I will continue to update and post new chapters as much as possible! As well as posting art on my tumblr blog- https://lostsoulwolf.tumblr.com/  
> I'm taking part in my own spin of the Inktober event where I will be drawing Sanses from different AUs so be on the look out for that!
> 
> Take care, my dudes! And see ya in the next one! And as always, thanks for reading!~ <3


	4. Care and Strife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some down time... for the most part.

Finally, after taking care of the young woman for three days, Sans awoke one morning to see her sitting up with a hand to her head and a small groan. Her voice sounded rough, but at least she was finally awake!

“heya, sleeping beauty~”

The low baritone made her jolt, eyes darting over to the skeleton as he chuckled coming down the stairs, hands in his pockets. Upon reaching the bottom, her shoulders eased. “H-how long was I out?”

“couple days. Paps was pretty worried about you. kept swearin’ he’d shake you awake to ask if you were okay.” he explained with a snort, parking himself on the coffee table.

Speak of the devil, he shall appear.

“Arial, you’re finally awake! Oh, thank the stars!”

Papyrus practically leapt down the stairs to hurry over to the couch, patting her head affectionately with a beaming grin.

“You really had us worried there! Sans here almost couldn’t sleep!”

“bro... that’s not true.”

“Yes, it is! I found you asleep by the couch multiple times. I know I told you to keep an eye on her, but that was pushing it.” he chided, wagging a finger in his brother’s direction while said male merely rolled his eyelights.

Shrugging, the comedian looked back to their guest. “you feelin’ okay?”

“Y-yeah, I think so… My head still hurts but not as bad as before.” Arial answered softly, scratching her scalp. She tried not to grimace at how dirty she felt. “W-was I really out for days?”

The guardsman nodded, lowering his voice for her. “Yes, you were. We tried to take care of you as best we could, but since you were asleep, it was… difficult.” But, his smile returned. “But, clearly, it was a good enough job to have you well again!”

“Thank you, both of you. Y-you really didn’t have to do that…”

“eh, not like we can just let someone sit out in the cold dressed as you were.” Sans pointed out, remembering that she nearly had frostbite.

Without really thinking, he nudged the blanket by her feet to check and saw they were still a little blue.

“speakin’ of, Pap, can you get a big pot of hot water? don’t want her losin’ some toes, right?”

“Oh, heavens, no! Be right back!” The roll of his “r” nearly had the girl in a fit of giggles.

Hearing the clatter of pots and running water, Arial eased in her spot on the couch with the blanket pooling around her lap and waist. “Sorry if I’m causing so much trouble.” Her hand gently brushed against the mark on her arm, her gaze distracted yet bothered.

“no biggie. if you were really causin’ trouble for us, you better bone-lieve it we’d let ya know.”

The pun wasn’t lost on her this time, rolling her eyes with renewed attention, but unable to hide the amused smirk at the corners of her mouth. “I’d find it humerus if I hadn’t heard that one before.”

Sans paused at that, eyeing her carefully. “but, i haven’t--”

“Here we are!” Papyrus announced, setting down the pot by the couch and helped to guide the woman to sit up properly. “Let me know if it’s too hot for you. We can let it cool first, if you need to.”

Slowly, she introduced her feet to the water and while it burned at first, it quickly changed to sweet relief. Practically melting on the sofa, she closed her eyes and curled her toes against the bottom. “No, no… It’s perfect. Thank you, Papyrus.”

“Nyeh, heh, heh~ A pleasure to help you, Arial! Is there anything else I can get for you? Maybe some of my spaghetti? You haven’t eaten for a while.” His excited eyes gaze down at her and inevitably had her caving with a nod. Clapping twice in excitement to hear what someone else thinks of his cooking prowess, he dashed off into the kitchen with a hum of triumph.

Tired eyes slid over to the remaining skeleton brother. “Is he always this excitable?”

“most of the time, though it might also because he’s hoping to make friends with ya too. he loves meeting new people.” Sans mused, smiling fondly but his mind was still stuck on what she said before. He’d investigate that later. “in the meantime, i’ll head into town; see what i can find for ya to wear. don’t know about you, but i wouldn’t wanna go runnin’ around wearing a backless gown the whole time.”

As though it just dawned on her, Arial’s eyes widened and she ducked into the blanket to seem like she was one with the couch. “Please tell me you didn’t see anything…”

“nothin’ too embarrassin’, kiddo.”

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have anything.” she shot back, pout-scowling in his direction but he just chuckled as he stood up with a stretch.

“i do, actually. but, uh, it ain’t proper for a monster to show that kinda thing to someone unless there’s somethin’ more between ‘em. ya get me?”

Unfortunately, yet fortunate for him, the woman didn’t understand, and the topic was dropped as he strolled over to the door with a yawn.

“Wait… Aren’t you going to change to shoes? That snow is pretty thick.” she pointed out.

“nah, don’t need to. besides, the cold just goes right through me. no worries, but thanks for the concern, bucko.” A wave as he opened the door and stepped out. “enjoy my bro’s company for me.”

With that, he was gone.

\---

Slumping back into the couch, Arial sighed and closed her eyes. So much had happened lately that it was hard to get a grip on just what was going on.

_Okay, take a breath. Retrace your steps, Arial. Let’s see… You were running away from something. In somewhere… hot? Hotland, right... Then, it got really wet and dark. But… where was that? Waterfall?_

For the life of her, she couldn’t remember exactly everything, just bits and pieces. 

_Wait… how do I know those names?_

That didn’t add up. A pit of anxiety festered in her gut, and she clutched the front of her gown under the blanket. She squeaked in surprise when a plate hit the surface of the coffee table. Startled out of her train of thought, she looked up to see a worried look from Papyrus.

“Oh, I do apologize, Arial! I didn’t mean to scare you! I’m a friendly skeleton, I promise!” Sitting down next to her, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them, he moved to balance the plate on one hand with a fork in the other. “Here, you stay bundled up so you’re nice and warm and I’ll feed you! Is that all right?”

 _This guy is too precious_ , she thought. Nodding, she took the first mouthful hungrily. While the flavor wasn’t all that great and the pasta burned in a few places, it was edible enough to keep going.

Once the plate was empty and her belly full, the younger brother made sure she was tucked in after drying her feet so she could curl up.

“Now, do you know where my lazybones brother went off to? Probably to his room, but I can’t hear him snoring up there like usual…” he mused, glancing to said room upstairs.

“H-he went out to find me something better to wear.”

“Really?!” The excited answer had Arial blinking owlishly. “I’m so proud of him!”

Tilting her head, the girl arched a brow. “What?”

Papyrus rushed into the kitchen to take care of the dishes, then ran back to sit on the floor, legs crossed and hands in his lap like a little kid for storytime. “Sans is inherently lazy, even with his work. Never does his laundry or pick up his socks,” a jab of his thumb to the one covered in a mountain of sticky notes caught her attention. “And rarely does anything “extra” aside from going to find more ketchup.”

“Ketchup? What for?”

“He drinks the stuff straight.” His shudder was comical. “What he finds good about it is beyond me, but it makes him happy so I won’t tell him no.”

“You two must really love each other, then.”

“Of course! I love Sans, very much. He is my brother, after all. They say “you can’t choose your family” but even if I had a choice, I’d still pick Sans any day.” He beamed, cheekbones round in delight. “He’s very caring and attentive, even if he can be rather… exhausted. Honestly, he seems tired a lot lately and he won’t tell me why. Says it’s just him being “bone-tired” but I’ve heard that one enough.” His expression fell, eyes slanting to the door as though hoping he’d be back soon.

“Well,” when Arial piped up, she earned his attention again. “I’m sure he’s just doing what he has to, to provide for you guys. I-I don’t know how things work here, but you have jobs, right? Stuff to do?” His nod prompted her to smile. “Since he’s so lazy, keeping up a job can be tiring. I’m sure he’s okay and just doesn’t want you to worry so much.”

Papyrus mulled that over for a few minutes, weighing the alternatives before nodding. “You’re right, friend. Thank you for talking with me! It’s nice to have someone to speak to about my troubles that isn’t my brother or Undyne.”

“Undyne?”

“Yes! She’s captain of the Royal Guard! She’s a fantastic leader and I really look up to her as a role model.” he gushed, stars in his eyes as he spoke about her. “She’s tough, courageous, and caring of all monster kind! A true hero! She’s actually the one who taught me how to cook.”

Arial chuckled. “Sounds like a really nice lady.”

He nodded emphatically. “Yes, yes! I would love for you to meet her soon! I’m sure she’d want to be friend’s in a soulbeat!”

That word again, _soul_ …

Closing her eyes, leaning back to hold her head, she felt a pulse arise just behind her eyes and a wave of nausea flip her stomach like a pancake. Sounds blurred to her, her limbs tingly and yet numb all at once. Even her arm seeming to flare up in pain...

It was so much stronger now, but just what was _it_ , exactly?

After a minute or two, she finally registered that the skeleton was calling her name in a soft voice, but it was growing in volume and concern.

“Huh?”

“I asked if you were feeling okay? You got pale.” Papyrus repeated, beady eyes searching her face for anything that could clue him in on what was ailing her. A hum emitted from his ribcage. “I didn’t know you could change colors like that…”

“S-sorry, Papyrus… Headache came back.” She explained, trying to calm the poor male. But he didn’t seem satisfied.

“Hm… Come with me, friend.” He offered a hand, gently leading her to her feet before picking her up to carry her against his breastplate. “Maybe getting clean will help you feel better.”

Looking up to the steps, she didn’t see more than two doors (which she assumed were their bedrooms) so was moderately confused. “Uh… How do you mean?”

“Waterfall, of course! It’s the cleanest source of water in the whole Underground. The snow is awfully dirty since people walk in it and Hotland clearly doesn’t have any and New Home… Well, it’s too far.”

Just mentioning going back in the direction she came from had Arial trembling in his arms, clutching his front with a shake of her head. “C-can we not go?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I-I don’t want to go back… Please.” Small tears pooled at her eyes, not knowing just what exactly she was so terrified of. She just knew that direction held doom if she was seen by someone. “Please… Please…” she repeated, her eyes and forearm burning.

He was at a loss of what to do. He moved to sit on the couch with her against his frame and pulled the blanket around them like a cocoon. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, Arial. Please, don’t cry.” he pleaded softly, holding her close until he, thankfully, felt her stop shaking so much.

Leaning his head back, he found her tuckered out with her head on his shoulder. He sighed, shifting them to lay down together since she refused to let him get up and let her sleep. The way she hung onto him…

“Reminds me a lot of you, brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooooo sorry this one is so late, guys!  
> Tibia honest, I took part in Inktober and still had work on top of that so I stepped back from writing to work on my art. If you guys wanna see (not sure why you'd want to though haha), it's on my Tumblr account of the same name, "LostSoulWolf".
> 
> Anyway, hope you like the update and I'll try to update a bit more frequently now that Inktober is done!~
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	5. Nightmares and Dream "Catchers"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No rest for the wicked", they say~ But, what if the wicked isn't so bad after all?

_Darkness. Panting. Running. The overwhelming abyss of nothingness._

Arial ran for what felt like eternity, nearly falling a handful to times, but that didn’t stop her efforts to escape. Her lungs burned for oxygen as her eyes searched for any hope of salvation or sanctuary.

She called out into the void, praying someone would save her from this nightmare. But still, nothing. Turning on her heel as she screeched to a stop, she looked around frantically. She wasn’t even sure what she was afraid of; remembering this pale bright face in this blackness and a thin hand reaching to ensnare her wrist, but she refused.

Something about that presence frightened her more than any monster she had seen. It was so distorted yet… oddly familiar.

“Someone? Anyone!” she yelled, her voice cracked and swallowed by the pit. “S-Sans? Papyrus!”

But no one came…

Over the past few days, she had grown attached to the skeleton brothers, and they, her. She felt _safe_ with them, wanted by them. It was far better to be cooped up at the house than running and praying for the rest of her life, even if sleeping has become a pastime to… well, pass time.

Tears welled in her eyes as she wished for a miracle, wrapping her arms around herself to comfort her mind as she hunkered down to her knees. Why couldn’t this torment end?! This overwhelming sense of unnamed dread was going to drive her mad!

Arial fought to regain control of her emotions, but it wouldn’t stop.

Then, out of the darkness, came a soft muffled sound of footsteps.

The young woman’s gaze shot up to appraise the new noise, but her heart dropped instantly. Her eyes widened as she was suddenly seized by the throat and wrist, her arm forcibly yanked forward to reveal the mysterious mark.

Boney fingers prodded into her skin in their grasp, nearly drawing blood. A low hiss escaped the creature as it shifted in the darkness, allowing her eyes to take him all in. His dark set sockets, pale white features with two large cracks in his skull, the twisted smile splitting his face in two.

Was it… trying to speak?

A garbled sound came from the mouth of the monster as she thrashed, her mind’s eye seeing symbols flash by but vanishing before she could process them. Clawing at his grip on her neck with her free hand, trying to get air to her lungs, she winced.

“W-what do you... want from me?!” she demanded, fighting to break free.

It laughed, low and distorted. A shiver ran down her spine at the oddly glitched sound.

Speaking again as the images rushed by, she furrowed her brow in confusion before choking on a whisp of air as he pulled her close to his face with a smirk.

“You. Are. Mine.”

That came in loud and clear. Before she could argue what that meant, she cried out in agony as his finger punctured her skin and a searing burn raced through her arm. It spiraled down to the hourglass and illuminated the ink.

She could only watch in abject horror as the permanent outline of the sand within began to _move_ ; seeming to countdown some untold event. _What the hell?!_ The creature’s laugh only brought her drifting vision to his face once again, eyes wide but sight fading as air was denied her.

Before long, she went limp in the darkness.

~*~

Arial sat up with a scream, hands squeezing the blanket like it were the only thing keeping her tethered to reality.

Her pupils were constricted in fear as they tried to visualize something in the darkness of the living room; the single nightlight across the way by the television acting as a pseudo-comfort to night terrors.

A light flicked on in the kitchen, startling her, but it also gave her a wash of relief to see the lazy skeleton standing there with a bottle of condiment in his hand. Though his eyes were void of irises, he had worry written on his face as his perma-grin slipped.

“Arial? what’s wrong?” he questioned as he crossed the way to approach, though paused at seeing her scoot back for a moment. Cocking his head, he put a hand up as he placed the bottle on the coffee table. “it’s alright, Arial. see? i’m just putting it down.” He was only marginally less bothered when her tense shoulders eased at the gesture.

Gazing at her as pinpricks of light returned to his sockets, he noted the streams of sweat and her shaking hands. Just what rattled her so bad? When his eyes took note of her palms, one of them moved to hold her arm over the odd tattoo emblazoned on her skin. Over time, he just thought it was a nervous tick. He, himself, puts a hand to his ribs when he gets anxious, able to still feel the groove in his bones to this day…

Sans rid his mind of those memories to focus on his newfound tenant. “so, kiddo, what’s wrong? what’s got ya so _rattled_?” He tried to ease the tension with a joke, not getting the exact response he was looking for.

The young woman faltered as her hand upon her arm gripped at the skin, shaking her head. “J-just a bad dream… I-I’m sorry if I w-woke you.” she answered, voice low and tentative.

“nah, ya didn’t wake me. i was up gettin’ a snack.” the comedian jabbed a thumb to the ketchup. He grew quiet as he appraised her more seriously. “are ya sure you’re okay? you were crying in your sleep…”

Arial lifted a hand to her face, feeling the trails and the dampness of the blanket. Processing his words, she wiped them away with a fake smile though she wasn’t even trying. “Y-yeah, I-I’ll be okay.”

Silence passed between them for what felt like an hour, but in reality was only a minute, the girl looking everywhere but her friend while he studied her movements. Then, finding that she wouldn’t change her mind, he got up and snagged the bottle from the table.

“alright, i’ll leave ya be then.” Looking to the stairs, he pivoted to head up. He was stopped by a hand seizing his t-shirt. With a blink, Sans followed the grasp to its owner to see her staring up at him with fresh tears in her eyes.

_This girl has been through a lot…_ he thought, frowning a little. _It’s no wonder she hasn’t been sleeping well. Even at a place to call home, she’s anxious and flighty._ The jokester paused in his attempts to leave, allowing her to anchor him in his place.

Then, without needing to ask, he joined her on the couch and let her conform to his frame as they lay there together. Drawing up the blanket to her shoulders, he held her close with gentle arms. He remembered how he had to do this with Papyrus when he was a babybones, cradling his skull with a hand while rubbing circles against his spine.

But now, it was for a lost young woman who was terrified of a nightmare. That didn’t stop him from slipping into the role of comforter and doing the same actions for Arial, though he was mindful not to potentially touch too much of her bare skin where the gown wasn’t closed all the way.

“shhh, it’s going to be alright. you’ll see.” he soothed, low baritone compassionate and reassuring. “i’ll keep the nightmares away. i’m your own personal dream _catcher_ ~” He held her close to incite a small snort of amusement from his captive.

Much to his surprise, she snuggled close with her arms wrapped around him comfortably. “Thank you, Sans…” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“heh, no prob, kiddo. get some shut eye.”

It was only about a minute before the young woman relaxed in his arms and softly snored, her expression spent. Sighing, Sans watched for a few minutes as the silence enveloped him in the living room.

So much of this was still a mystery to him and while he was glad that she wasn’t out to harm his friends and loved ones, the skeleton still couldn’t help but worry about this strange _feeling_ he’s had since she showed up at the doors to the Ruins.

What was she doing out there? Did she come from the door? No, she couldn’t have. Her feet were scorched like she came from Hotland. But then, does that mean that maybe Alphys would know about her? She’d have to since her cameras pick up pretty much anything in the Underground.

Well, whatever the case may be, he’ll figure it all out in the morning… or afternoon; whichever suited his fancy on his day off. Checking on the female one more time, he found himself smiling faintly before he, too, fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update right before the end of the year? Impossible!  
> Actually, this is the last "pre-written" chapter I have in my arsenal but I've been tweaking it repeatedly for a month or two now. I wanted to get the right blend of dread and intrigue without spoiling much, even if someone were already onto the grand scheme I'm cooking up~  
> If any of you have an idea or something that caught your eye at any point during this adventure, be sure to let me know. I'd love to see just how many of you are catching all the little finite details!  
> As always, thanks for reading and do let me know what you think in the comments! See ya next chapter (and after the New Year!)


	6. Spaghetti and Sunrise Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An... interesting morning with the skelebros.

Waking the next morning in the arms of a skeleton did startle the young woman, at first. Bright blue eyes blinked sleep away to find the older brother encasing her smaller frame to his chest as he snoozed with comically loud snores. _How does a skeleton even snore, anyway?_

It took a bit of maneuvering on her part to turn over, facing him properly, to watch his ribcage lift and drop with each breath. His stained t-shirt was dotted with faint splotches of red, what she assumed to be ketchup dribblings from his drinking habits that Papyrus told her about, and his breath had a sort of mystical scent to it. There was definitely the condiment’s remnants in there but the other half… _Was it just the magic he was composed of?_

Though, it was thoughts like that that made the young woman pause. How would she know things like that? There were so many things she didn’t understand and a good part of it was things she mysteriously _did_ follow, even if she probably shouldn’t.

Why was she not bothered by being surrounded by monsters and yet downright terrified of something in the Underground, more than likely a monster, in Hotland? How did she even get here, let alone know what these places were or what they were called? When did she arrive and how long has she been here? Where even is _here_ exactly?

Arial could barely remember stories about the mountain with a gateway to monsterkind deep within its belly, beneath the earth to keep them subdued, but… where did she hear those? 

_“In the past… A past that’s not yours.”_

She jolted, eyelids fluttering at the strange voice. _What the hell was that?!_

“nghh... kid?”

Sans stirred against her, blearily opening his sockets to see her slightly trembling in his arms. He pulled her that much closer to calm her.

“h-hey, hey. deep breaths, kiddo.” he cooed, the low timbre of his voice soothing and compassionate.

Slowly, she complied, frowning. “I-I’m sorry to worry you.”

A soft chuckle made his ribs vibrate against her front, making her ease slightly in his grasp. “don’t worry about it, Arial. Paps gave me more of a scare when he was a babybones than this, so no worries.”

While it shouldn’t have, the young woman found herself laughing a little. “Did he try to go up and down the stairs as a baby?”

She felt him tense and his amusement felt stilted. “u-uh, yeah…”

Eventually, the silence between them was broken by the sounds of said younger brother, waking up with a shout of greeting to the new day and parading down the stairs to see them.

“Ah! Good morning, you two!” Papyrus spoke, waving with a bright smile. Brushing off the rounded shoulders of his battle body, he adjusted his scarf. “Did you sleep well?”

“yeah, bro. you could even say, in a way, we were _dead_ to the world.”

“AGH! SANS!” His brother cried, stomping his boot as his spine went straight as a board. “It’s much too early for your terrible puns!”

“c’mon, you’re smiling.”

“I am and I hate it!” A sigh accompanied the disappointment. “I’m truly sorry your morning had to start this way, Arial. Here, let me help you up. And while you get ready for our day out, I’ll cook up my best batch of breakfast spaghetti!” Approaching the couch, the future guardsman carefully picked her up to ease her onto her feet, though he didn’t let go until she proved to him she was alright on her own.

“Thank you, Papyrus. I’m sure it will be delicious.” Her tone was light and hopeful, making the tall skeleton squeal with happiness before hugging her, but gently this time.

“You are too kind! The Great Papyrus will not let you down!” With that, he went dashing into the kitchen with a flutter of his cape-like scarf and a hand to his breastplate… while running.

The girl chuckled at his shenanigans and straightened herself out, then paused at feeling a weird gaze on her. Turning, she saw Sans staring with dark sockets, but soon they flickered with light again as he casually smiled.

“glad you find my bro so _humerus_ …” he remarked, browbones creased slightly.

For the first time since they met, Arial found herself feeling on edge under his gaze. Something about him felt off, and she hated it. She offered a shy smile with a shrug. “W-well, he _is_ rather funny. I mean, someone with that much energy in the morning is an interesting guy to begin the day with.”

The lights in his sockets dimmed slightly, constricting. “yeah... sure.” Shrugging as he got up, adjusting his jacket for good measure, he handed her a bag of clothes. “here, better change outta that backless gown before we leave.” _Wait, when did he get that?_

Taking it, she nodded then hurried to a corner of the living room by the stairs to change while Sans went into the kitchen with a shuffle of his slippers.

Within a few minutes, she was in a slightly stained black tank-top and long dark jeans; her long brown hair pulled back by a blue ribbon; and her feet protected from the cold in lace-up boots with the pant legs tucked in. It felt good to be in real clothes instead of the thin hospital gown she had tossed back into the empty bag to dispose of later.

_Well, at least Sans has some good taste. Nearly fits me to a “t” too…_ she mused, running a hand through her hair before tying the ribbon again more securely now that most of the tangles were gone.

Once she deemed herself ready, she quietly went to the kitchen’s threshold to watch the brothers move together in the small room. While Papyrus requested things from the cabinets, Sans fetched them for him since he was… _Oh god._

Sans was on his knees… on the countertop.

When his brother joked about that before, she thought he was kidding! Covering her mouth to mask her snicker of amusement, she smiled and entered. Though, she might need to work on announcing her presence with more than just a clear of her throat and a soft word.

The smaller of the duo actually fell back at her greeting, toppling off the edge in front of the cupboard. But, quick reflexes had Arial slide on her knees to catch him in her arms and hold him to her chest, seizing her breath.

“u-uh... kid?”

The woman blinked, then slowly released him to let him stand on his own, cheeks bright with embarrassment.

“Arial, that was amazing! I didn’t know you could move so fast! Have you trained with Undyne and just didn’t tell me?!” Papyrus asked, pink-and-white apron ruffled in his excitement as he clapped his praise.

“N-no, I haven’t. I don’t even know who that is. W-well, until you told me before, Paps.” She pointed out, gazing at him with a shy smile as she got to her feet. She tried to ignore the chill down her spine at feeling that look again.

“Then… we should go see her after our tour! That was incredible, and I’m sure Undyne would be very impressed by your quick reflexes!”

Sighing, knowing there was no way around what he wanted, the brunette nodded. “Alright, alright. I guess there’d be a meeting eventually if you plan to show me around, huh?” she teased, earning a proud “Nyeh heh heh!” from the skeleton.

“I’m glad you caught on to my master plan, Arial friend!”

Breakfast was served soon after and enjoyed… for the most part. Then, they set off to leave, though Papyrus paused with a hum.

“everythin’ okay, bro?”

“Sans, why didn’t you get her a jacket? She’ll be cold out there!”

“sorry, Paps. couldn’t find one that’d fit her.” Sans reasoned, shrugging.

“Then let her borrow one of yours! One of the ones I washed recently, I’m sure she’d prefer.” he lectured, hands on his hips as his foot tapped on the thin carpet by the door. “Actually… hold on!” Heavy thumps of his boots echoed up the stairs as he zipped into both his room and his brother’s, returning with a copy of the signature blue hoodie and… a red scarf.

Blinking in surprise, Sans furrowed his browbones. “Paps… your scarf? but, that’s your favorite…”

“Yes, well, she needs it more! Besides, I have mine and this is a spare I keep in case this one gets too torn up from training!”

“Papyrus… You don’t have to do that.” Arial agreed, not wanting to rob him of something he held dear.

“I know, but I _want_ to!” The bright smile on his face couldn’t be matched, growing at her acceptance as he helped her into the semi-large jacket and put the scarf comfortably around her neck. “There! All bundled up for our tour! Now, we’re ready!”

A glance to the shorter skeleton told her he wasn’t too thrilled about this, but he stayed silent about it. “yeah... whatever you say, bro. your tours are the _coolest_ in town.”

“Agh! SANS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break between updates, my friends! Honestly, work's been rough and depression wasn't working with me on my little time off. But, I'm back and raring to go with updates! Expect another one later on today!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and let me know what you find interesting in the comments. I love hearing if people notice things~ Stay awesome, readers! <3


	7. Bond and Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't want a tour from the coolest skeleton in Snowdin?~

Before long, the trio left the house to trudge in the snow while Papyrus rattled on about each building they passed and told stories about experiences there; Sans only there to interject puns or correct him if he pointed out something embarrassing. Seemed like his younger brother had no concept of self-preservation as the memories were more personal that most would tell to someone you just met.

It was endearing to the newcomer, looking around with a smile as he continued until they had just said goodbye to the bear outside of Grillby’s.

“Well, how are you liking Snowdin so far, Arial friend?” Papyrus asked, pausing the tour just outside the establishment.

“It’s a really nice place. Everyone’s been really kind, like you guys.” she answered with a smile, getting a hug from the excited skeleton. “Though, you guys are still the best.”

“Aw! So kind!” Clearing his throat _(did he even have one to clear?)_ , the younger brother gestured to his brother. “Sans, this place is more your expertise since I hardly come here. For good reason but still…”

Chuckling, the comedian’s permagrin widened. “ya should, bro. it’s the _hottest_ joint in town.” Only finding the groan from his brother more funny since he couldn’t just storm off, Sans turned to Arial. “this is my favorite place in Snowdin. c’mon, i’ll introduce ya to the owner; he’s a good friend o’ mine.”

With a chime of the bell above the door, they entered the bar to see assorted monsters within enjoying themselves. Two bird-like monsters sitting together at the left side of the bar at the back of the pub, a group of dogs playing poker at one of the round tables towards the left wall, a horse monster sitting by the jukebox with dark shades over his eyes and yellow-green bangs hanging in his face, a large venus flytrap in one of the booths to the right and a swirly-eyed rabbit with its head on the table from one too many drinks if the multiple bottles and glasses were anything to go by.

It took mere seconds and a handful of glances for the patrons to turn, smiling at seeing their friendly neighborhood skeletons. A chorus of “Hey, Sans!” echoed in the restaurant, and even a few greetings to Papyrus came from the dogs’ table.

They motioned the three over, letting them spectate even if the younger brother wasn’t a fan of gambling. 

“What are you guys doing here? Weren’t you just in..” Dogaressa asked, tilting her head.

“The forest?” Dogamy finished, nuzzling his partner affectionately. They seemed to have only two and three cards in their paws, sharing their hand from the looks of things.

“yeah, well, you know me. can’t go an hour without a break.” Sans pointed out, much to his brother’s displeasure. “We were just showing our new friend here around Snowdin and just had to take her here too.”

The dogs paused their game to look up at Arial, studying her before putting their hands down to get up and sniffed her all over. Greater Dog seemed particularly confused, murmuring something to Doggo and Lesser but neither of them could figure it out.

“You smell…”

“Different.”

Blinking at the statement, the woman looked from each face to the next with heated cheeks. “Wh-what do you mean?”

They didn’t comment, returning to their seats. Well, what they thought were the right seats but one look at the hands in front of them had them swear and give up on that round to pass out new cards.

“eh, don’t worry ‘bout it, kiddo. the dogs are probably just into their game right now. let’s go see Grillbz.” Guiding the newbie and his brother to the bar, patting the stools beside him, he waved down the bartender after he was done with the birds down the way. “heya, Grillbz. how ya doin’ today?”

While Arial wasn’t sure what she expected from the monster that seemed entirely comprised of fire, an elemental from what she understood from the soft whisper Papyrus explained, she did tilt her head curiously when his hands gestured in different patterns. 

“heh, yeah. it is pretty busy today… well, we just wanted to stop by and introduce to ya our new friend, Arial. kid, this is--”

“Grillby.” she finished, then replied in ASL for him. _A pleasure to meet you._

A faint line where his mouth would have been quirked up as his flames crackled in a pleased way. _Likewise. Would you like anything to drink or eat for your trip?_

She shook her head, offering a smile. _No, thank you. I appreciate the offer._

The bartender nodded, getting Sans a bottle of his favorite condiment without even needing to ask though a tilt of his head told her all she needed to that he had rolled his eyes at a terrible pun through his way. Adjusting his bowtie and vest, he looked to Papyrus but he politely declined as well.

“Alright, well, we better get a move on before it gets much later, brother!”

“yeah, yeah, bro…” Sans mused, rolling his eyelights before downing his bottle of ketchup with a sigh. “thanks, Grillbz. put it on my tab. see ya, everyone.”

“Take care, Sans!”

“See ya, Sansy!”

With that, they left to head off towards Waterfall. Though, as the snow gave way to damp cave floors, Arial felt more and more anxious. The bright white reflection of the snow became darker and a more ethereal blue tint bounced from the cavernous walls and tunnels, the ceiling encrusted by crystals of varying hues and color while glowing teal flowers lined the path along their feet.

If it weren’t for Sans and Papyrus guiding the way, she was sure she would have gotten lost. Just thinking about it, she quickened her pace to gently grasp the end of Papyrus’s scarf and the edge of Sans’s hood.

They glanced back for a moment, then looked to each other before continuing on while stopping every so often to introduce her to a monster if they’d come across them out of curiosity. 

“Ah, here it is!” Papyrus announced, excitedly quickening his pace to drag her and his brother along. “Undyne’s house! I do hope she’s home!” Before Arial could tell him to hold on, his quick red-gloved hand was already knocking on the door with fervor.

It didn’t take long for the mouth of the piranha-type home to open vertically to reveal its owner. Standing in a black tank-top and jeans was the one she knew as Undyne, bright blue scales with red hair and fins while a patch covered one of her bright yellow eyes. Her mouth curled into a shark-like grin, teeth uneven.

“Hey, nerd! You missed your training yesterday!” she barked, but she sounded more concerned than mad.

“I’m sorry, Undyne! I had an emergency and completely forgot to call you!” Papyrus answered, though yelped when he was suddenly in a headlock and getting knuckles to his skull. “Please don’t noogie the skeleton!”

“Ngahhh! You dork! Try to remember next time, alright?! I was worried about ya!” Soon, he was released and she turned her eye onto Sans. “And you, nerd. What are you doing walking around?”

“ah, ya know. had to make a special trip to see my favorite bass.”

Her unamusement was almost as palpable as Papyrus’s. Though, she stiffened at sensing something else and pried the two apart. Her eye widened and the smile she wore disappeared into a snarl, swiping her arm back to summon a bright blue spear with a cry.

“A HUMAN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter update?! Heck yeah, nerds! Let's keep this rolling!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and let me know what you think in the comments! I enjoy hearing what you guys have to say! Stay awesome! <3


	8. Magic and Mysteries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans needs a moment to digest things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I forget, I want to give a very special shout-out to the lovely crusnikroxas from Tumblr.  
> Hon, your kind words when I was going through a tough time helped me a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter that I wrote not too long after our talk~ <3
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy~

Sans couldn’t tell if he was amused or actually worried for the young woman when Undyne shoved he and his brother to the side. With a turn of his head, he watched as the captain dashed towards her though froze at an odd flash of color in his peripherals.

_was that…_

Then, before any of them could react, a dinner plate-sized disk of white magic protected Arial from the glowing blue-green spear thrown at her. Ducking her head with a soft yelp of fear, she had curled up to cover her head.

The fish warrior stopped her assault once her attack was deflected, staring at her owlishly. She was just as dumbfounded as himself and Papyrus, though the latter was more impressed than concerned as he shouted a loud “Wowie!”

“Wait… How are you…” Undyne balked, earning the fearful woman’s attention as her weight shifted to stand casually. Her interest was piqued.

“Arial! That was amazing! I didn’t know you could use magic too!”

Standing slightly away, Sans narrowed his sockets slightly as he studied the woman as she was pulled into a big hug by his brother and introduced on more gentle terms.

“Now, Undyne, this is Arial! No more attacking her, please! She’s still kinda…” The usually boisterous beat to his voice was pitched lower as he tried to stop his friend’s shaking, patting her shoulder. “Well, that doesn’t matter. Be nice! She’s a new friend and she can do _amazing_ things! Oh, like catching Sans when he fell from the counter this morning! She just slid under him in the nick of time to make sure he didn’t get hurt!”

“That so?” The shorter skeleton could tell, Undyne was still skeptical and he was glad for it. If he was the only one feeling that way, he would start to question his sanity. And yet… that color he saw before still bothered him.

It wasn’t uncommon for magic to manifest in eye color when it was being channeled, but when they still had very little to go on for her origins, it was more than disconcerting. Hell, he still couldn’t tell what she was; and he was pretty sure _she_ didn’t either.

Snapped from his thoughts with a jolt, he blinked and watched as their old friend dunk the newcomer with a shark-like grin. “Well, if you helped ol’ Sans over there, then I can’t be too mad. Can’t have Papyrus all sad if he wants to join the guard, right?!”

“Right!” The trainee chimed in, smiling with rounded cheekbones and a crinkle of his nose ridge.

“hey, uh, Pap?” He snorted at the curious hum when his brother turned to stand by him, giving his full attention while Undyne talked with Arial. “i’m gonna go to grillby’s for a bite. kinda wastin’ away here, heh.”

“But, we just had breakfast a few hours ago?”

“yeah, a few hours too long ago. don’t worry, bro. i bet you and Arial will have plenty of fun with the capt’n.” he reassured, much to his brother’s displeasure.

A sigh. “Oh, alright. But, bring something back for her when you return.”

“you got it. anythin’ else?” He shook his head. “alright, i’ll be back. don’t have too much fun without me.”

With a _pop_ of his magic, Sans teleported away before his brother could retort.

Landing in front of their home, the faint crunch of slush beneath his slippers comforting, he went around to the shed behind the house and stepped inside. With a flick of his wrist, the door was locked behind him. The lights came to life above as he stepped up to his desk. The top was covered in scattered papers, some in sloppy handwriting and others in odd symbols that only made sense to him. Well, bits and pieces of it, anyway.

He slipped off the footwear, slightly sliding around on the tiled floor to get from place to place as he grabbed things to sit down with a sigh. Spreading out his selections, notebooks of varying sorts, he started pouring over the texts within to see if any clues added up.

There were no previous archives of anyone looking like her before and her resemblance to the humans who had gone through here were far too uncanny to not be coincidence.

“but, if she really _is_ human, why couldn’t the dogs smell it? why couldn’t _i_ feel it?” he muttered to himself, leaning back in his dented folding chair to balance on the back legs with seemingly little effort. “even Undyne couldn’t tell… yeah, she yelled about a human but anyone would think that at a glance. and that magic…” 

With a heavy hit of the front legs to the floor, he leaned and grabbed a certain book, flipping to its table of contents. When humans were highly discussed by the royals, especially the young prince who passed with his fallen brother in toe, they began to keep a record of those they found and the magic they possessed, even if it wasn’t the kind to physically manifest.

“let’s see… “there are six main types of human magic that we, as monsters, are aware of. they seem to be equated with their personality and demeanor, making it difficult to know until the magic is in use firsthand.” well, that doesn’t help much.” The comedian’s perma-grin faltered, pinching his nose ridge to fend off a sudden headache. But, he didn’t relent his studies. “i know i wasn’t just seein’ things… there was a flash of color before that shield thing was made. i know it.”

Ever since he found her, there had been this weird sense of… unease he felt. Something about her didn’t add up and while he would give the benefit of the doubt, mostly due to his incredibly pacifistic brother’s ideals, he couldn’t keep his mind from harkening back to past experiences. 

As much as he wanted to know more about the soul magic, there was barely any data on it as it was. Asking Alphys could prove helpful… if she hadn’t just stepped into the position of Royal Scientist. “probably still tryin’ to get situated.” he mused, rolling his eyelights in irritation. He wished whoever wrote these documents was around to talk to.

The young skeleton had gone all over the Underground, asking if anyone could read or write in these weird symbols. Not a single one said yes. So, then who the hell wrote them?! It was a mystery he hated but could learn to deal with. If he could somehow figure out a cypher or some point of reference to go by, maybe he could decode this and have all the answers he needed.

“but, that’d be too easy… nothin’s ever easy.”

Bitter and confused, Sans stood from his chair to pace for the first time in years.

“alright, so let’s say she _is_ a human. what’d we know about her? she was sittin’ outside the Ruins, feet burned, wearin’ medical garb, and scared. she can, apparently, use magic even though she seemed surprised to. shit, we were surprised by that…” Pausing, he wrung his hands. “no other human showed signs of magic though. so… she’s gotta be a weird monster or somethin’... right?”

Maybe he was just overthinking things again, like that nightmare Paps had when he was a babybones. It was just a bad dream, nothing more and nothing less.

In any event, he was going to keep a closer eye socket on their new friend. “hell, maybe i should start takin’ notes…” he joked, snorting at the thought as he lightly kicked his chair back into place at the table.

Grabbing a small pad, he teleported from his shack and landed in Grillby’s; an order of fries in a bag and two bottles of ketchup in hand, he vanished again back to Undyne’s. Though, he wasn’t ready for the sudden focus on him.

Said captain glared at him and threw a spear his way. “You little thief!”

There was no time for him to react, his hands full and sockets wide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot woot, another chapter!  
> I apologize for the delay in this update. Truth be told, stress has been killer and I originally had the first half of this written out ahead of time but scrapped it to start over in a new direction. So, I hope you guys liked it!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think in the comments below and tell me what _you_ think is going on here~ I love to see where everyone's minds are when it comes to a mystery since things can be viewed and perceived in different ways.  
>  Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! <3


	9. Bond and Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation no one asked for! Undyne vs Sans... Kind of...

Much to the surprise of absolutely no one, Papyrus snatched the attack out of the air mere centimeters from his brother’s skull. The poor older brother had lifted his full hands in a fruitless attempt to block it but his brother, yet again, saved his coccyx.

“How many times have I told you to stop stealing my stuff?!” The warrior yelled, bright yellow eye glaring Sans down. She growled at his slowly returning casual demeanor and cocky answer.

“never... except for now.”

It was true, he had never stolen anything from her… until a day or so ago. But, come on, it was an emergency and she wasn’t home so he figured that borrowing wouldn’t be so harsh.

Her exasperated sigh and pinch of where her nose bride would have been was a clear sign of her resignation. “Fine, fine! She can borrow my clothes _but_ just ask me next time, ya idiot! Seriously, we all have each other’s numbers for a reason so just call me.”

Meanwhile, poor Arial was just standing there in shock as she watched how casual things had turned when literally a moment ago Undyne nearly skewered Sans right through the head. When she was still trying to get over that ghost fear of being discovered herself and what that could entail, it was more than a little jarring and the embarrassing yelp that came from her when Papyrus touched her shoulder seemed far louder than she thought.

“A-Arial? Are you alright? You turned pale again… Do you need to lay down? I could find you a nice spot to lay! Oh, like Undyne’s bed! I’m sure she wouldn’t mind!” The towering skeleton offered, gazing down at her with a kind smile.

She wasn’t sure if she should say anything, but didn’t exactly get the chance to make that decision when both Undyne and Sans joined them after having lectured out their differences.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Arial turned pale again and last time had to lay down. Can she rest in your bed? We did walk a long way to get here so maybe she’s just tired!”

A slitted pupil slid over to the slightly smaller human-like being, studying her and nodding. “Alright, alright. That’s fine. Just don’t break anything!”

Papyrus escorted her inside, leaving the captain and comedian alone again. Somehow, the Grillby bags where gone and he was finishing up the second bottle of red condiment. Where did the first one go?

“I don’t know about this…”

An oval white eyelight slanted over to his friend, watching as she stared at the closing front door to her home. The skeleton pondered if he should talk to her about his own concerns, knowing that she had just as much of a keen knack for sensing things were off as he did. _maybe, until Alphys is better acquainted with her new position…_

“right there with ya, bass…” he commented, the bottle in hand empty then gone in the blink of an eye to let him shove both hands into his hoodie pockets. His shoulders were slouched, gaze moving back to stare at the crystals above that twinkled like the stars in the night sky out of sight of monsterkind. “but, she hasn’t done nothin’ to warrant any violence so… i dunno. i’m keepin’ an eye socket on her. i wouldn’t be against ya givin’ me a hand with that though.”

As he spoke, he pulled out one hand in offer of a shake; a silent barter of sorts that he’ll keep an eye on her if Undyne helped him. There was only so much he could do but if there was two of them on the lookout for weird activity, maybe they could gather clues to figure out more about their mysterious guest.

It took little consideration for Undyne to nod and shake it, though rolled her eye when he made his hand pop off at the wrist as he chuckled in amusement. He ducked when it was thrown at him, using blue magic to levitate it back to him so he could reattach it.

While his soul was into the joke and the faintest smile on his friend’s face as they both headed towards the door of her home, his mind was racing with the possibilities of just what was to be expected. _keeping an eye on Arial as she slept could be helpful…_

Shaking his head as the door’s jaws opened upwards, they stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooooo sorry for the lack of updates over the past few months. I have no excuse other than lack of motivation, depression kicking my ass, and work getting out of hand. Oh, and a hurricane roughly two weeks ago! But, that didn't really do much.
> 
> Anyway, here's a little short chapter for you guys! I do have bigger plans for the next one so in a way, you can consider this a bit of "filler" before a more impactful (maybe even important) couple of scenes coming up real soon~
> 
> Thank you for reading, lovelies <3 See you in the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Seeing hits and kudos really keeps me motivated to continue my work and goals as a writer!
> 
> If you could let me know what you liked, disliked, any ideas/theories you may have, please leave them down below! I'd love to see/hear them!
> 
> I'm also on tumblr with the same username and icon~


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